Brian De Palma gives us his best film with this mystery that calmly winds through the twists and turns of its plot. I love this kind of confident filmmaking where the director knows he has a good story, takes his time with it, and has the ability to put his stamp on the film without making you aware that he is doing it. To me, this movie feels like a love letter to Hollywood both old and new. We all know that De Palma is a fan of Hitchcock as well as film noir and we see a number of subtle references to both throughout. In addition to these homages to old movies, the film also features a number of contemporary locations in Tinseltown such as famous landmarks like the Tail o' the Pup hotdog stand, the Capitol Records building, and the Rodeo Collection mall. A final addition to the numerous Hollywood references is that he sets the film in the world of actors who interact in auditions, studio lots, and glamorous homes. The locations in this movie are probably the main reason I enjoy it so much but by saying this, I do not want to discount the fact that the plot is quite clever and there are many times where I found myself surprised by what transpired on the screen.

Craig Wasson (Nightmare on Elm Street 3) plays Jake Skully, an actor who finds himself homeless after he finds his girl riding another guy. In an incredible stroke of luck, Jake meets a guy named Sam (Gregg Henry) who offers to let Jake house-sit in the Hollywood Hills while he goes out of town. Jake is ecstatic to find that he will be staying in an amazing futuristic looking house (known as the Chemosphere House and also seen in Charlie's Angels) which has the added bonus of an amazing view of the city. Another thing that Jake has an amazing view of is a neighbour's house complete with a woman (the beautiful Deborah Shelton) who does a sexy dance at the same time each night. The voyeuristic tendencies kick in and eventually Jake finds himself tailing the woman around town after he sees a Native American thug with bad teeth following her. The obsession eventually leads to a murder, a porn actress, and a climax at the Los Angeles reservoir.

This is the most engaging of the De Palma movies I have seen. I liked Carrie and The Untouchables but I am not a big fan of Scarface and Snake Eyes. Although his work has been somewhat inconsistent, he was totally on with Body Double. There is a sense of nostalgia throughout the movie as well as a hypnotic quality at times (especially when Jake is watching the object of his affection). The main villain, the freaky-looking Indian, is very effective and has remained in my subconscious from when I first saw this flick as a teen. His face has a nightmarish quality that would probably scare me to death if I ran into him in real life. He looks human but is a close to a monster as you can get.

Wasson does a great job of portraying an obsessed man who is not always comfortable with his actions and seems like he has trouble controlling them. When you add to the fact that he is claustrophobic, you get a real sense of paranoia in sequences where the film requires it. This is amped up by Pino Donaggio's score and some tricky camera moves. In addition to Wasson, the two women in the film also give memorable performances. Deborah Shelton does not have much to do as the neighbour but she exudes a classy sexiness that is hard to forget. Melanie Griffith, on the other hand, does not show up until the movie is more than halfway over but she ends up stealing the show as a spitfire of a porn star who plays a key role in solving the mysteries that are presented by the plot. I almost forgot how cute she used to be. Rumour has it that De Palma originally wanted to cast classic porn star Annette Haven in this role but the studio refused to go along with it.

There are a number of familiar faces sprinkled throughout the movie. Genre fans will know Gregg Henry from Slither and Just Before Dawn. They will also spot scream queen Brinke Stevens in a fake trailer for a porno called "Holly Does Hollywood" as well as Barbara Crampton (Re-Animator) in an under 10-second clip as Jake's adulterous mate. This may be a brief clip but it was burned in the mind of any male who saw this movie while in puberty. You can also look for a pre-"NYPD Blue" Dennis Franz as a director. Finally, any child of the 80's will know that Frankie Goes To Hollywood makes an appearance performing "Relax" on a porn set. Ah, those were the days. (Josh Pasnak, 6/9/09)

Directed By: Brian De Palma.
Written By: Brian De Palma, Robert Avrech.

Starring: Craig Wasson, Deborah Shelton, Gregg Henry, Melanie Griffith.